Alternative Ending
by XxFairxShouldersxX
Summary: What if Bruno survived the camp..? And returned to the fence years later as an adult..? What if Shmuel discovered his father's fate..? This is more of an adult version of TBITSP
1. Chapter 1: Remembering

Chapter 1: Remembering

Bruno ran through the forest, following the path that took him somewhere he went everyday, this time clutching a spade as though it were a spear.

He didn't know that this day was the day that would change his life forever.

He knew where it all began.

Before Bruno had come here, he'd lived in a big house in Berlin with his father, mother and 12-year-old sister, Gretel, who he didn't always get on with.

He was a very active little boy who loved to play and hated boredom. He loved exploring and adventures. He also loved to read adventure stories and fancied himself as an explorer. He had three best friends, Karl, Martin and Leon.

Everything changed though, when his father met the Fury, and was given a more important job and a fantastic uniform. Bruno and his family moved to the countryside to a place called "Out-With", where their house was much smaller.

Bruno remembered the train journey there and how he would spend ages gazing out of the window, watching the fields with the hedges and fences that surrounded them wiz by, some of the fields had animals in them and gradually the towns and villages got smaller and smaller and there were less and less of them and the countryside bigger. It carried on like this until he was quite sure they were very, very far from Berlin.

But when Bruno got there he became homesick and confused by his new surroundings. There is nothing to do, no other children to play with, and soldiers walked in and around their house all day.

Since arriving at Out-With Bruno became home educated and wasn't mixing with any of the other children from the local towns or villages.

He was bored and lonely and couldn't understand why he was forbidden to explore or wander the grounds or play at a nearby farm.

But then, Bruno made a very odd discovery that made him start to wonder. Because what he saw from his bedroom window were lots and lots of people living in small huts behind a fence, and they all wore striped pyjamas.

Eventually he could not hide his curiosity which was becoming too much and so one day, he slips out after his studies and investigates.

Though Bruno didn't know this, the "farm" he thought he lived near was in fact a concentration camp which was the very reason they'd moved here.

Bruno walked alongside the fence for a while. He hadn't expected to find much; none of the people in striped pyjamas ever came close enough to the fence to talk to, except one. A strange boy with a shaven head, sitting behind the fence.

Bruno remembered their first meeting quite clearly.

When Bruno first saw Shmuel he was sitting cross-legged staring at the ground, alone and separated from the others in the camp.

At first when the little boy looked up he looked nervous, and for a moment it looked as if he were going to stand up and flee from the fence, but as soon as he saw it was no more than a boy his own age and wasn't going to hurt him he stayed where he was.

When Bruno asked Shmuel if he had any friends on his side of the fence, Shmuel said he had a few, but that they fought a lot which was why he liked to come out to this corner, next to the fence, so he could be on his own.

It made sense to Bruno, he was lonely, Shmuel was lonely, so Bruno decided to secretly befriend the little boy and for the first time since he'd arrived at Out-With he didn't feel alone.

But the next day there was nothing else to do either and Bruno had questions he wanted to ask about the farm and wondered if the strange boy he met would still be there for he would most probably know the answers.

Bruno had never met a boy quite like Shmuel before; in fact he was like no other boy Bruno had ever known and quite interesting to talk to.

The next time Bruno came to see Shmuel they found that they had a lot in common. But Shmuel's life was quite different from Bruno's.

Bruno soon realised he was Polish and knew how to speak German.

He was an independent-minded eight-year-old who liked to do what any eight-year-old liked to do, play checkers, eat sweets, and talk to his best friend. But that was where the similarities between Shmuel's life and Bruno's life ended.

Shmuel was shy and generally quite quiet, Bruno thought this was understandable since they were strangers but then Shmuel told Bruno his story of how him and his family were forced to move by the soldiers which was quite scary for him and a bit risky for him when he was meeting Bruno since he had experienced bulling from non-Jewish kids in the past.

They weren't allowed to leave the camp and the soldiers were incredibly cruel to them every day. They didn't get enough to eat, and Shmuel said that he hated it here.

'I hate it here too.' complained Bruno 'the house is a lot smaller.' He added, even after Shmuel had told him about how he had to live with ten other people in a tiny squashed hut and how they had to work, but Bruno was never serious and usually talked about playing and exploring instead.

'I've just moved here.' explained Bruno.

'How long have you been here?' asked Shmuel.

'About four months now.' said Bruno.

'We arrived here six months ago.' said Shmuel.

'You must know more about what the exploration is like here then.' said Bruno.

'Not really.' said Shmuel. 'I've never been beyond this fence.'

'Why ever not?' said Bruno. 'Why would you stay in one place all the time?'

'We're not allowed.' said Shmuel.

'Well.' said Bruno 'I wasn't really allowed to come out here either, but I still came though, because I wanted to see the farm.'

'Farm?' said Shmuel, puzzled. 'I haven't seen a farm around here.'

'Of course you would have.' said Bruno. 'It's where you are now.'

Shmuel stared at Bruno but said nothing; he then went back to starring at the ground.

'And where are all the women and girls?' Bruno asked. 'I've only ever seen men and boys.'

'I don't know.' said Shmuel. 'They separated us before we came here, I suppose they're in a different camp. But before that they took our clothes and then they gave us these.'

Bruno in fact thought it would be great to walk around all day in pyjamas and didn't think it fair that he had wear boring grey shorts while Shmuel and the others got to wear stars and stripes.

'And then our heads were shaved.' continued Shmuel.

'They shaved _all_ your heads?' said Bruno.

'Yes.' said Shmuel 'All of us, including Mama's. She had beautiful hair and I watched it fall to the ground and then the soldiers took her away with all the other women, we haven't seen her since and then a man with a broom came and swept all the piles of patchwork hair away.'

'What colour was your hair?' asked Bruno. 'Before it got shaved off?'

'A bit like yours.' replied Shmuel 'Only not as dark and thick.'

'Why did you ask to have it shaved off?'

'I didn't.' said Shmuel. 'We were all made to.'

Bruno paused, considering this strange story. He also noticed that his friend didn't look that comfortable.

'What's wrong with you?' he asked 'You look as if you're in pain.'

'I'm hungry.' said Shmuel, simply.

This wasn't the first time Shmuel had said this. Within minutes of their first meeting he had asked Bruno if he had any food, Bruno said that he hadn't, are you hungry? He added.

'Yes.' replied Shmuel, nodding. 'All the time.'

Suddenly Bruno remembered.

'I brought some chocolate with me; I was going to eat it later cause I wasn't really hungry. You can have some if you want.'

As soon as Bruno said these magic words Shmuel's eyes immediately lit up.

Bruno took out the chocolate from his trouser pocket and broke off a piece and handed it to Shmuel through the fence.

He took it hastily and put it to his mouth and it was gone and swallowed within seconds, but Bruno still had a whole bar left and Shmuel's expression was just telling him could I have some more.

It made sense since Shmuel probably needed it more than Bruno did.

'Go on, then.' he said passing the whole bar through the fence. Shmuel took it from him quickly and started to bite chunks off.

'It's so sweet…' he said, through a mouthful.

'Slow down.' said Bruno. 'You'll choke on it, and take the wrapping off first.'

When Shmuel had finished the rest of the bar, he tried to find all the tiny pieces of chocolate that had broken off that Bruno would have just left or brushed off.

'You must take the wrapping.' He said passing the wrapping back through the fence.

'Why?' asked Bruno.

'In case the soldiers see it.' said Shmuel.

'Don't you have any bins over there?' asked Bruno.

'We only burn stuff.' said Shmuel.

From then on Bruno made it a habit to bring food when he went to meet Shmuel.

One thing he could be sure on is that Shmuel would always be hungry and would always take what Bruno gave him.

Sometimes Bruno would bring some bread and cheese or an apple or some biscuits.

But sometimes on the walk to the fence he would become hungry himself and before he realised it he had already eaten half of what he meant to give to Shmuel and it would be cruel to give what was left to him since it would only serve as an appetiser and only make him hungrier.

When Bruno arrived at the fence Shmuel asked 'Did you bring any food today?'

'No.' said Bruno 'Not today, sorry.'

Shmuel looked disappointed, but it wasn't only food sharing Shmuel appreciated Bruno for, it was also the company. Just to have some one there to talk to about everything that had happened to him.

They met at the same spot every day and talked about all sorts of things whenever they could.

Bruno would come every afternoon after his lessons, coincidently this was around the same time Shmuel finished most of his daily work in the camp, which was the only time he got to sit in his corner to be by himself.

It just happened and it continued in this pattern during the next few weeks.

The two had formed a timid, unlikely and careful friendship, doing simple things like talking, playing board games and catch through the fence.

As a result when Bruno brought food to Shmuel, he learnt more about where his new friend lived and about why the fence was there and why his friend was on the other side, he also learnt more about where he lived too.

Shmuel did find some happiness when he met Bruno, but before that he wasn't used to being asked so many questions, he was surprised and appreciative of the company. In the camp there were no questions or answers and he was generally used to being ignored.

Bruno's questions made Shmuel wonder and begin to ask himself what all this was about.

They went back and forth a few more times and soon Bruno was starting to realised that the place where he went to meet Shmuel wasn't what he thought it was.


	2. Chapter 2: Nip

Chapter 2: Nip

One-day father came home and nestled in his arms was a small brown and white puppy, only a few weeks old. She had beautiful heather coloured eyes.

He gave her to Bruno and Gretel.

'Where did you find her, dad?' said Gretel.

'On my way home from work.' He said. 'But don't get too attached, you must wait a few days until I say we can keep her, in case the owners claim her.'

A few days went by and no one claimed the puppy, so they got to keep her permanently.

Bruno was overjoyed, he held the puppy in his arms, she licked his fingers and chewed them, she would nip sometimes too, so ever since then Bruno decided to call her Nip. Gretel didn't mind, she'd given all her fancy names to her dolls.

Nip was a Springer spaniel, she had two white paws, and white markings around her face. she was also very playful too.

Bruno played with her every day.

Gretel would come and stand outside the house and say 'Are you still playing with that dog?'

Bruno ignored her. He had found another friend at Out-With, one he could play with, but it wasn't exactly the same, not like having someone to talk to, not like being friends with another person.

Nip didn't always cooperate and do as she was told. But she was always pleased to see Bruno.

He was the one who fed her, brushed her and played with her the most.

When Bruno was on his swing she try chasing him backwards and forwards much to his amusement.


	3. Chapter 3: What the Soldiers Were Like

Chapter 3: What the Soldiers were really like

A few weeks back Bruno had asked Maria about Pavel and if he was really a doctor and if so why wasn't he being one.

Maria explained to Bruno as best she could that it'd make no difference weather Pavel had the potential to be a doctor, he simply would have had very poor training being a Jew and accept being a slave and that's how everyone saw him which didn't seem fair to Bruno since it meant he could not achieve his potential.

Bruno came out of the kitchen. Nip had made a mess on the carpet and mother was cleaning it up with a frown line of disapproval between her brows. She did this whenever Nip brought home a dead rat or something dead, which she also dropped on the carpet and stood back, and cock her head to one side, expecting to be praised.

'No Nip! Bad girl!' said Bruno, though his mind was elsewhere.

He thought how skinny Shmuel, Pavel and the other people in striped pyjamas always looked. Bruno himself was naturally skinny, but not unhealthy skinny.

Bruno looked at his mother, Elsa, a lean and elegant brunette, she wasn't skinny she had a full body, in the right places; Bruno decided she was the point between slim and underweight.

That afternoon at the fence Bruno and Shmuel had been talking about what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Bruno had decided he didn't want to be an explorer anymore; he wanted to be a soldier like father because he was such a good soldier.

Shmuel insisted there weren't any good soldiers and Bruno insisted except for his father.

Their opinions on the subject differed greatly and neither of them wanting to give in.

Shmuel went quiet for a few moments, in the camp he had seen a side to Bruno's father he had never even imagined.

Shmuel, deciding not to argue said 'You don't know what it's like over here.' and he got up and walked away from the fence towards the huts.

Bruno lifted his head and starred after him, frowning a little, why would Shmuel say something like that?

After a few minutes Bruno also got up and started to walk. He walked along side the fence, starring into the camp. He looked closely but he couldn't see any evidence that what Shmuel had said was true.

After a short while he turn off and walked back into the forest.

He gazed at the pretty patterns the light coming through the leaves on the trees was making on the forest floor.

The forest had little narrow paths that usually became smaller until they came to a dead end the closer he got to the fence, like the one Bruno took when he was meeting his friend cause he knew it wasn't really a path only one made by him.

He knew his way round the forest because he remembered going for a walk through it, eating an apple when he hadn't been intent on going to the fence that day, but he usually ended up passing it anyway; this was before their visits had become a regular thing.

Bruno didn't like playing by himself, generally and when he walked passed the fence that day Shmuel was there and Bruno gave him the apple core he'd finished and had been about to throw away like he always did because that was the part he didn't like Shmuel however munched it down very quickly leaving nothing.

Bruno didn't know weather he'd have done that, finishing something off that was already half eaten by somebody else and had their yucky germs on it. Shmuel didn't seem to mind a bit.

Bruno walked along the stream he always crossed over on his way to the fence and eventually it led him back to where his and Shmuel's meeting spot was.

When Bruno returned to the area he could see that Shmuel had reappeared again not far from the fence.

He was sitting on the rubble a couple of yards away from where he normally sat, facing the huts.

It was Bruno's plan to creep up behind the fence and give his friend a surprise just for a laugh. Bruno emerged silently from the bushes like a ninja and crept up cautiously towards the fence, stepping awkwardly on his tiptoes trying not to make any sound.

'I know you're there, Bruno.' said Shmuel, without turning round.

Bruno stood up straight and sighed, disappointed. How had Shmuel known he was there? He was bored and wanted to play.

'Do you think I could crawl under the fence?' asked Bruno. 'So that we can play together?

'You ask me this everyday.' said Shmuel. 'And everyday I tell you it's not a good idea.'

It often made Shmuel feel very frustrated whenever Bruno asked if they could play together, since Shmuel, even though he was the exact same age as Bruno knew more than he did why the fence was there and about the two sides.

'Why isn't it?' said Bruno, he knew Shmuel would often say these things weren't a good idea though he would never say why.

'I'm not supposed to be here.' said Shmuel, coming back and sitting down where he normally sat next to the fence. 'I could get into trouble if the soldiers saw us. This is one of the few areas not many soldiers come.'

'Why don't any of the other children play over there?' asked Bruno.

'We just don't.'

'Why though?'

'It would make the soldiers angry if they saw any of us playing.' said Shmuel. 'We're not supposed to look as if we're enjoying ourselves here, besides most of us haven't got the energy to play now.'

Shmuel paused, looking at the ground with sad eyes.

'I wanted to play sometimes too.' He said quietly.

'Why don't you come under?' said Bruno.

'I can't.'

'Why not? It doesn't look that hard to get under.'

'You don't understand.' said Shmuel, shaking his head.

Bruno thought about this and remembered these words that set the tone for Shmuel's life since he and his family arrived at the camp. Because Shmuel due to his race, could not leave the camp. He could not run through the forest exploring like Bruno could. He couldn't come and visit Bruno at his house. He could not go beyond this fence.

'I can understand what it must feel like to be stuck over there.' said Bruno, hoping this might make Shmuel feel better.

'You don't.' said Shmuel. 'You won't know what it's like here until you've been here yourself.'

'I can…imagine what it's like.' said Bruno.

'It's not that simple.' said Shmuel, tears of frustration welling up in his eyes.

Bruno paused.

'Tell me more about what life in the camp is like over there.' He said, Interested to know.

Making a decision in his mind to ask rather than argue.

'It's horrible.' said Shmuel. 'You haven't seen what the soldiers are like over here.'

Bruno thought about this and wondered what the soldiers were really like on that side of the fence.

'I understand you're quite heavily disciplined by the soldiers.' He said.

'Disciplined?' said Shmuel. 'You could be punished horribly, sometimes even for having done nothing at all...you just don't argue anymore.'

'What sort of punishment?' asked Bruno.

Shmuel paused, as though he were considering his answer carefully.

'You could be beaten up, whipped or worse.'

'Whipped?' said Bruno.

'They would make you work and they could do something like that at any moment and you wouldn't know why. Some people get it more than others.'

'And boys?' asked Bruno.

'Yes.'

'Boys_ our _age?'

'Um-hm.' said Shmuel, nodding sincerely.

'Have you?' asked Bruno.

Shmuel nodded.

'I got it a lot of times, but most people had it a lot worse, there was a little boy called Isaac who used to be in the same hut as me, who got it the most. He didn't last long. He became exhausted from work one day and couldn't work anymore and then the soldiers…they…'

Shmuel couldn't finish his sentence, remembering.

'And then one day he just disappeared.'

'Just like that?' said Bruno.

'Yes. Things like that happen. There was this group of boys I used to hang near then one day the soldiers told them they were going home, but I didn't trust the soldiers about these sorts of things. Papa has warned me. So I wouldn't go, they thought I was crazy. So the soldiers took them out of the camp, making them walk in lines and I don't know if any of them did go to where they said they were going because none of them ever came back after that.' said Shmuel, looking very sad.

'How often would they beat you?' asked Bruno.

'Hmm…too much.' replied Shmuel, his eyes becoming sadder and misty for a moment then returning to normal.

'Would they only use whips?' asked Bruno.

Suddenly Shmuel turned away from Bruno, covering his face with his hands, his breathing becoming soft shallow sobbing sounds, which instantly told Bruno he had gone too far.

He wanted to say sorry but he was so perplexed by everything he was hearing.

'Why do you do this to me?' said Shmuel in a tiny shaky/teary voice, lifting his head again a moment later, there were no tears but his eyes looked a little redder than before.

'No, more than a whip.' he said, in a normal voice again.

'What else would they use to hit you with?' said Bruno, before he could stop himself.

'Our own working tools…belts…batons…sticks…whatever's around. And they treat us the same way like this everyday.'

Bruno felt guilty for making Shmuel talk about what took place over on that side of the fence. He had only wanted to know what it was like and he hadn't meant to make Shmuel cry even if it was only for moment. And no one wants to relive memories like that.

There were times Bruno thought when Shmuel seemed just like a normal happy eight-year-old boy, other times he could seem quite different and it could change in a second.

'We were terrified of them.' Shmuel went on. '_Terrified. _Even just seeing them makes me want to be sick.'

Bruno was silent, trying to take this all in. He wanted to tell Shmuel everything was going to be alright but he wasn't of sure on that himself.

'What do you want me to say?' He said, finally.

Shmuel shrugged.

'Just thought you should know.' he said. 'That's why we can't play together. It's too risky…' and then added in a low voice. '…I'm not what you think I am.'

Bruno and Shmuel still carried on seeing each other everyday after this as before.

Bruno still didn't quite understand why Shmuel said all those things. He never saw any of the soldiers doing things like that from his side of the fence or from his window.

It made Bruno really start to question whether his father was a good man; if not who was in the wrong his father or his innocent friend?

Bruno didn't want to end up choosing between his friendship with Shmuel and his loyalty to his father, so he didn't argue.

He remembered when father had brought Nip home when she was just a small puppy and had let them keep her instead of selling her. He remembered when he'd spoilt him and Gretel by buying them sweets back in Berlin.

It was hard for Bruno to imagine his father doing any of the sorts of things Shmuel said the soldiers did, it didn't make sense.

He walked home slowly in silence that day deep in thought. It hadn't ever occurred to Bruno just how sensitive Shmuel was to his questions.

As time progressed, Bruno began to understand a bit more about the war and started to realize that him and Shmuel weren't supposed to be seeing each other.

Sometimes when Bruno had questions or other things like this playing on his mind he found that stroking Nip soothed and relaxed him.

He thought about how his friend and how horribly he must be treated and always looked sad. Bruno knew what might cheer Shmuel up.

One day Bruno brought Nip with him to the fence, he had to carry her some of the way since she was still just a puppy.

Bruno knew Shmuel liked animals and he liked to reach through the wire to stroke her.

Bruno realised she was small enough to be passed throw the gaps in the fence. So Bruno passed her through so Shmuel could hold her. She curled up on his knees and licked his face. Bruno remembered that was the first time he'd seen Shmuel smile.

'Isn't she beautiful?' he said.

'Yes.' said Shmuel 'I like her.'

She sniffed the dusty smell on his pyjamas. She had left tiny brown paw prints on the striped material where she had been through a muddy puddle.

'I like animals.' said Shmuel. 'because they don't judge you. All you have to do is be kind to them and they'll be kind back.'

'I'm still trying to teach her stuff.' said Bruno. 'Like sit and lie down.'

Shmuel held the puppy for a few more minutes before passing her back through the fence to Bruno who was saying 'Good girl Nip. Who's a good girl?'

For the next few weeks Bruno was happy, he would see Shmuel everyday and then come home to play with Nip.

She was getting to be a bigger puppy now, but still seemed to require an equal amount of attention.

She would still try chasing Bruno on his swing sometimes.

Bruno hoped bringing Nip to the fence would have made for upsetting Shmuel about asking him the questions that brought back bad and unpleasant memories.


	4. Chapter 4: The Reason he was doing This

Chapter 4: The Real Reason he was Doing This

But Bruno knew the real reason he was doing this, a few weeks back he'd got Shmuel into trouble.

It had been when Bruno had really started to hate Lieutenant Kotler.

Nip had been starting to misbehave more recently, she wasn't a puppy anymore she was almost a fully-grown dog and becoming more of a handful.

Bruno was still trying to teach her commands, like the soldiers could with their dogs, but often she would wonder off or do her own thing.

Bruno noticed something unique about her, she had one eye blue and the other eye brown.

She was not like the dogs the soldiers had, which were large brown and black heavily trained dangerous looking Alsatians which could bark loudly and aggressively in an abrupt manner.

Bruno was worried at the thought of what might happen if she went too close to one and end up getting a nasty bite.

She was also quite shy of strangers, and would start barking at them, which was a problem since there were always new soldiers coming in and around the house.

They wouldn't have her in the house anymore since she started chewing stuff.

She'd chewed one of the faces off one of Gretel's dolls, which made her hysterical.

Bruno told her off for that but secretly he didn't care too much about that she had far too many dolls anyway.

'Sit Nip, sit!'

'Nip lie down!'

Bruno tried his best to get her to follow commands but he couldn't get her to fetch a stick.

He thought maybe rewarding her with pieces of chocolate might help.

But that was also the day not long after she found Bruno's secret chocolate which he kept hidden under his bed and ate the entire bar and was then sick all over the carpet. Bruno didn't think it was her fault. That much chocolate could have made her very sick and might even have poisoned her, he just shouldn't have put it where she could have found it.

Mother however was cross with both Bruno and Nip, Nip for being sick and Bruno for hiding chocolate in his room, as she cleaned up the sicky chocolate mess from the carpet.

Nip certainly wasn't allowed in the house anymore since then, and she'd be keeping the family awake at night barking.

Bruno was starting to worry they may end up giving her away and she had a loving home here at Out-With and he hated the thought of her having to be sent away, she was part of the family.

During the long hot days she would run round the courtyards restlessly wanting to be let out and barking impatiently.

Mother tied her up; she would chew through the rope.

Father locked her in the shed at the back, but she would wine and bark, until Bruno would take pity on her and let her out.

Then one-day father dragged her by her collar to the back, locked her in the shed and put the key in his pocket. Bruno pleaded with him not to keep her in there but father said he had a meeting coming up and didn't want any nonsense.

Bruno had been lying on his bed, reading his book and listening to Nip's constant barking and wining from the shed.

Then, after a short while and for no apparent reason her barking stopped.

Bruno listened and waited a few minutes but there was no more sound from the back shed.

Bruno got and went over to his window and looked down towards the back where he could see the shed but it was silent.

Suddenly the only reason came to him. She must have escaped through the small window Bruno used for exiting the grounds, which was how he got out on his way every time he visited the fence.

Bruno waited a few minutes, then far away in the distance he saw her approach the fence which he once assumed was there to keep animals away, not far from where him and Shmuel's meeting place was. She started barking loudly, though he couldn't see what she was barking at or about.

Lieutenant Kotler, who had been standing by the gates at the time, had heard her barking.

Bruno watched the soldier disappear into the trees that led towards the direction of the fence.

In a very short space of time later he saw him reappear as a blob next to the fence and before Bruno realised what his intention had been he took his gun out and shot her.

Bruno could only stare out of his window in shock, horror and disbelief.

Then he ran downstairs, a growing lump in his throat. By the time he reached mother who was in the kitchen, tears were streaming down his face as he told her what he'd seen from his window, how he'd seen one of the soldiers shoot Nip, though he didn't say it had been Lieutenant Kotler.

Mother had to comfort Bruno for a bit, he was so full of guilt and anger, he wished he'd never taken Nip to the fence as a puppy then she might not have known the way.

Mother then later told father, who then made the walk to the fence to collect Nip and bring her home.

When father returned he laid her out on the steps outside the house.

Bruno spent a few minutes with her, stroking her as if this might make it easier. It seemed still to calm the hatred he had inside him for Lieutenant Kotler.

'Oh Nip.' he whispered, his tears falling in her fur.

Her eyes were still half open and there was blood in her mouth and on her tongue.

'It's only a dog, Bruno.' father kept telling him.

'But she was _our_ dog.' said Bruno 'and that soldier had no right to shoot her.'

'I don't think he realised.' said Father, who was only making excuses for the soldier.

They buried Nip the same afternoon under the tree near where Bruno's swing was.

Bruno had made a gravestone from one of the fallen slates from the roof, he'd scratched out words with a pencil.

Nip R.I.P

1942

Just as a sort of tribute to Nip's short and sad life.

Then Bruno, Mother and Gretel gathered round the grave. Gretel was also upset, though not as much as Bruno was.

'Poor old Nip.' said Mother.

Bruno didn't think she should have used that word at all.

Nip hadn't been old at all; it hadn't been long since she'd been a puppy. She'd been so young, too young to have developed a sense of danger.

Watching from outside the gates was Lieutenant Kotler. The man he knew who'd purposefully murdered their dog.

Bruno watched him, his mother's arm round his shoulder, Maybe he realised now what pain and hurt he caused wherever he went. What he did was unforgivable.

Bruno gave the young soldier a fixed evil look with his piercing blue eyes. He had never hated any man this much in his life.

It hadn't been long after this when Bruno had been trying to find a quiet place to read his book, he'd been thinking about the boy in the striped pyjamas when he found Shmuel in the kitchen and was very surprised cause until then he'd never seen Shmuel anywhere else apart from behind the fence.

Shmuel also seemed pleased to see him but he looked tired, he had dark circles around his eyes and he looked as if he might be about to faint or collapse at any moment. Still he'd clearly had enough strength to walk to Bruno's house.

Sometimes Pavel looked the same when he came in staggering with the vegetables. Just before the incident Bruno had noticed he'd been staggering more recently and was having to lean against objects at times for support and Mother often felt tempted to say to him would you like to sit down?

'Don't the soldiers feed you?' Bruno had asked.

'They'd rather feed their dogs than feed us.' was Pavel's only reply.

Bruno then tried offering him a slice of bread, but Pavel put out his bony hand with all the tendons showing stopping him. 'Don't tempt me.' he said.

A different man in striped pyjamas came to peel the vegetables now.

Shmuel had been ordered to clean some glasses at Bruno's house.

'I'm not supposed to be talking to you.' whispered Shmuel, timidly.

'We aren't supposed to be friends.' replied Bruno. 'We're meant to be enemies.'

Shmuel concentrated on cleaning the glasses and didn't answer since he had understood more than Bruno and for a lot longer too that they were meant to be enemies.

Then Bruno noticed how thin and unhealthy Shmuel's fingers looked. He knew his friend was hungry as always, so gave him some food. Shmuel at first refused to take it.

'No, no, not here.'

Then contrary to what he was saying, almost by instinct he snatched the food and gobbled it down, but Lieutenant Kotler caught him. He leaned forwards and came down to Shmuel's level.

Have you been stealing food?' he asked, his voice sounding dangerously calm.

Shmuel's eyes were big and frightened, he opened his mouth and tried to form words but his immense fear seemed to have somehow frozen his voice box.

From where Bruno was he could see where Shmuel's feet were standing under the table, he saw Shmuel's foot inching a step back when Lieutenant Kotler started talking to him. Bruno also noticed when his eyes glanced under the table that the cut at the end of Shmuel's striped trousers was dripping slightly and making a tiny puddle under Shmuel's shoe. Bruno suddenly realised Shmuel was wetting himself; he was so scared, though fortunately not to Lieutenant Kotler's notice.

'Answer me!' he shouted. 'Did you steal something?!'

'No sir.' stammered Shmuel.

'_Liar!'_

'No sir.'

Lieutenant Kotler raised his hand as if he was about to hit Shmuel, who flinched bracing himself, but then the Lieutenant lowered his hand, remembering Bruno was there.

'Well!?' He demanded.

'He gave it to me.' Shmuel blurted out, shakily. 'He's my friend.'

Lieutenant Kotler turned slowly to Bruno and started interrogating him instead.

But Bruno also felt too scared to speak to this threatening looking Nazi towering over him; he'd never felt so scared of another human being in his life.

'Have you been feeding the prisoners?!' Kotler yelled.

But Bruno didn't stick up for his friend admitting that he gave him the food nor that he knew him.

Lieutenant Kotler immediately took Bruno's word over Shmuel's.

He turned to Shmuel, who looked as if he wished he were anywhere else in the world other than where he was standing right then.

'You.' He said, talking to Shmuel. 'Finish cleaning the glasses. When I come back I'll take you back to the camp where we'll have a little chat about what happens to rats who steal, we'll also be having a chat about ones that lie too.'

Shmuel knew he meant well. He nodded and went back to cleaning the glasses.

Lieutenant Kotler then led Bruno out the room and into the corridor where Bruno then freed himself and ran upstairs to his room throwing his book to the ground hard and sat down on his bed, starting to cry a little, tugging at his fringe.

He had never felt so ashamed in his life, he knew he had been the one who'd lied, and now Shmuel was in trouble all because of it, because of him and he was supposed to be his friend.

Bruno couldn't bare it any longer. He got off his bed and ran down stairs again.

When he was half way down the stairs he stopped, thinking about what to say. Then he saw Mother enter the kitchen.

Shmuel had finished cleaning the last glass and had picked up the bowl of dirty soapy water, looking for the sink, not really wanting to be noticed.

'Just over there, love.' said Bruno's Mother, pointing.

Shmuel nodded and went over to the sink and poured the dirty water away then he untied the small apron he was wearing and tried hanging it up, but he wasn't tall enough to reach the hook, he looked towards Bruno's mother with a look of supplication, as if to say please help me.

Shmuel had been separated from his own mother and it had been such a while since he'd even seen another woman.

Mother, who was really close to Bruno and not particularly fond of the war and everything that was going on went over and hung it up for him trying hard not to look at him, she did this with Pavel too, trying not to look, trying not to show her emotions, not to show what she was really feeling for them, anything which might implicate her husband.

Shmuel stuck close to Bruno's mother, as if for protection.

She turned to him.

Shmuel stood there expectantly, waiting for the next order.

Mother was about to give it, but when she looked at him she did not see a servant, she saw a tired, hungry and frightened child.

Seeing a malnourished adult in this state was one thing, but she couldn't bare as a mother seeing a child same age as her son suffer.

And somehow she couldn't bare to look at him, neither did she feel she could stand back and do nothing.

She saw the unbearable fear in his scared eyes.

And she had to turn away and put one hand over her mouth before her eyes gave way to tears.

Shmuel gazed at her, watching the way the sunlight caught her brunette curls.

Shmuel's mother, Edith had had curly hair too before it got shaved off, but much darker than Bruno's mother's hair, almost the colour of black and when the light caught it, it looked almost the colour of treacle.

Shmuel remembered very clearly watching her beautiful treacle coloured curls being shaved off and falling to the ground around her feet until when they'd finished she was almost unrecognisable, robbed of her identity. Then she was taken away with all the other bald women and girls and that had been the last time he'd seen her.

He hadn't seen her in months, had he forgotten her? Would she have forgotten him by now? Surely she had never wanted to leave him. He didn't often think about it anymore.

Shmuel felt a huge suffocating lump growing in the back of his throat, remembering it made him want to cry.

It brought back all the memories of living in terrible conditions, bad air to breathe, starvation, seeing people being killed before his eyes, watching people die on the streets, people screaming and terrible suspense and unknowing of what was to come.

He remembered how she would hold him tightly and always be telling him not to worry and that it would all be over soon.

How he was longing to be close to her again, she would always reassure him when he was scared, even when there was nothing left to reassure him about.

Every day in the camp was soul destroying, not something Shmuel could put into words to make Bruno understand, heaven knew what awaited him back at the camp and all he wanted at that moment was a hole to crawl into and die.

Mother stood hovering by the sink facing the window, wondering what to do.

Only recently and by accident had she learn the devastating truths about the concentration camps. She was shocked and disgusted and she couldn't understand what good her husband's work was doing.

She felt her maternal instincts telling her she wanted to help him; she had to do something, even if she could do the tiniest thing. She couldn't bare it any longer.

Bruno peered through the banisters; mother had tenderly picked Shmuel up and sat him on the table. Got a cloth and started to wipe away the dry tearstains from his dirty face.

Eventually she had given in.

Shmuel looked up at her with his large, frightened eyes.

She looked down at him with subtle but pitying, sympathy filled eyes as she'd cleaned him up.

She had an inbuilt caring personality trait for compassion for others, something Bruno also had, passed on from her.

And sometimes, deep down she could be incredibly sensitive to other people's pain and suffering.

This moment lasted for a few short minutes until she heard the footsteps of Lieutenant Kotler and she immediately put Shmuel down and straightened up as if nothing had happened.

Lieutenant Kotler reappeared in the kitchen.

'Is he done?' he asked.

'He's just finished Kurt.' said Mother.

Lieutenant Kotler nodded.

'Come along.' he said, to Shmuel and turned and walked away.

Shmuel throw one last glance at Bruno's Mother, who as much as she wanted to she couldn't look away.

'_Jew!'_ barked Lieutenant Kotler, from the door and Shmuel immediately but reluctantly hurried on after him.

Bruno's Mother watched him; she could tell he didn't really want to go with him.

Bruno watched Lieutenant Kotler leave the house through the big black gates followed by Shmuel.

Mother had sat on one of the chairs at the table, resting her elbows on its wooden surface, her head in her hands in utter despair, reflecting on the real horror of her situation. She was starting to realise just how badly the knowledge that she had ignored what was going on around her, how badly people were being treated, had finally hit her.

She felt for them.

Bruno did not know what took place between then and later but when he arrived at the fence as he always did Shmuel wasn't there. And he wasn't there the next day, nor the following day after that.

Bruno still came back every day with hope that Shmuel would reappear at the fence when he was ready to forgive him.

But he didn't come and he didn't come.

Bruno remembered the look on Shmuel's face when he had lied; it stayed with him all the time, the expression of utter betrayal.

Bruno was starting to consider the unbearable prospect that Shmuel might never be seen at the fence again, it had been so long now, either something really, really bad had happened to Shmuel or what Bruno had done had been so unforgivable Shmuel would never return to the fence.

Finally when Bruno came to the camp he saw Shmuel sitting in his usual spot, his eyes on the ground.

Bruno rushed to him.

'Shmuel! Shmuel!' He cried.

He ran up to the fence just managing to stop himself before he ran into it.

When Shmuel slowly lifted his head he had a black eye and a cold expression as if to quietly say stay away or leave me alone.

Bruno said nothing for a few seconds.

'Did…he do that?' he said.

Shmuel nodded.

Bruno felt terrible; this was all because of him.

Shmuel had been serious when he told Bruno all those things the soldiers did and Bruno hadn't listened.

He felt he'd been really selfish and spoilt. And he'd only been protecting himself. He wanted to tell Shmuel how being with him had made him realise just how lucky he was and how much he really had when he couldn't see that before. He wanted to tell him how it felt to have let such a kind and honest friend like Shmuel down, but he couldn't…because there were no words.

However, Shmuel quickly forgives Bruno.

'It's all right.' He said. 'I was the one who was foolish really.'

'What do you mean?' asked Bruno.

'If you had admitted our friendship.' explained Shmuel. 'I'd probably have been killed.'

Bruno visualised Lieutenant Kotler taking Shmuel back to the camp and tightening his strong, nasty fists ready to swing back and Shmuel would fall to the ground like one of Gretel's lifeless dolls and realised this was not the sort of kill when you're playing with your friends pretending to shoot each other or when Bruno's mother unmeaning fully said she was going to kill him, that day he came back home with his trousers mudded up to the knees…this was genuinely kill.

Bruno wondered whether Lieutenant Kotler had done anything else to Shmuel other than give him the black eye but he didn't want to ask, he didn't need to.

Shmuel shuffled himself round so that he wasn't facing Bruno and lifted up the top part of his pyjamas revealing marks along his back where Lieutenant Kotler had beaten him.

Bruno grimaced. He thought seeing one of his best friends for life, Karl getting caned once on the hand by the headmaster for bringing sweets to school, back in Berlin was bad.

He remembered how mother said she simply would never have allowed that or anything like that happen to him. And Bruno knew she meant well.

It wasn't just the marks that shocked Bruno, Shmuel's spine, ribs and shoulder blades stuck out in an abnormal manner, something he'd never seen before.

He knew his friend was always ridiculously skinny and pale, but it was usually when Shmuel stood up Bruno noticed how thin he was and that was just through his clothing.

Bruno once again made it very clear he was sorry in his most sincere voice.

Shmuel showed he'd accepted Bruno's apology by nodding and sticking his skinny hand through the wire for Bruno to shake.

Bruno had wanted to do this before, the first time he saw Shmuel upset.

He had wanted to stick his hand through the wire to touch Shmuel, to tell him he was sorry. He had never done this before, not just because he didn't know if it was ok to touch Jews, but because he didn't know if Shmuel was the sort of boy that liked being touched, it was harder to know with him, he had always known with his other friends since a fence hadn't always separated them.

Bruno always knew Shmuel was different from his other friends, because of where he was and what he looked like. It was the first time the boys had ever touched.

It was a very memorable moment for Bruno. And since then their friendship became stronger.

Over time the incident was never usually brought up anymore, Shmuel seemed to have completely forgotten about it, either that or he just never talked about it; it only seemed to affect Bruno afterwards.

It was always in the back of his mind with Shmuel's black eye as a constant reminder of what he'd done, even though Shmuel had said his fate would have been worse if he hadn't.


End file.
